Bariatric Surgery in India

This guide is here to help individuals learn, research, and compare the various options for bariatric surgery in India.

Consumer Guide to India Bariatric Surgery

When many think of weight loss surgery in India or any foreign country, they may think of a dirty hospital with inexperienced medical staff. The JCI is a division of the Joint Commission and a medical accreditation agency that tests hospitals abroad on nearly 300 standards and data points in order to determine which medical institutions and facilities best meet the needs of their patients.

Weight loss surgery has a long-standing track record for providing significant as well as sustainable weight loss in many individuals. There are a number of many weight loss surgeries to choose from, and it is important to put some time and effort into choosing the right type of bariatric surgery to deliver the results you are looking for.

Is Bariatric Surgery in India Safe?

There are two considerations to make when considering weight loss surgery in India in terms of safety.

• The first is whether or not the weight loss operation itself is safe.

The best way to eliminate safety risks is to do your research. Choose the safest bariatric surgery option for your own personal health and well-being, and then make sure that you are selecting a medical facility in India that is accredited, certified and backed by healthcare organizations such as the Joint Commission International. Because the JCI has set stringent standards for healthcare excellence, you can rely upon any healthcare organization that the JCI recommends to uphold these standards.

Concerns

There are however other concerns that you should have when deciding on traveling abroad for a weight loss surgery procedure. For example, you may not want to travel alone because going through the recovery period alone can be trying. Bringing a friend or family member along for the surgery is the best way to make sure you have a support system during your recovery. 

Most physicians recommend that you stay in the country of your surgery for two weeks following the procedure so that you can prevent serious complications such as DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis. Preventing complications is essential in ensuring that the surgery goes well and there are no side effects. It can be important not to be alone during this time.

Patients are concerned about complications arising during the actual surgery. Any surgical procedure is going to carry inherent risks regardless of where the surgery is performed. Surgeons and their staff work hard to alleviate these possible complications by working in completely sterile environments.

The Process

The biggest difference in traveling for medical tourism in India instead of undergoing surgery in the United States is the travel aspect. This will require much preparation in terms of traveling to the destination, having the operation, staying in the destination during the recovery procedure and traveling back home.

1. The local physician and the surgeon in India will communicate in order to discuss the patient and the chosen method of surgery. Correspondence between local physicians and physicians abroad is absolutely essential to make sure that a consensus is reached regarding the patient’s treatment.
2. The surgeon in India and the local physician will collaborate closely to make sure that this is the safest surgical option for the patient and that all other external factors such as time and place of surgery are ideal for the patient’s quick and healthy recovery.
3. Most surgeons will recommend that the patient arrives in India between two and three days before the actual surgical procedure. There are a number of benefits to this, including getting comfortable in the environment before the surgery and undergoing any necessary pre-operative work to make sure that the patient and the surgeon are completely prepared for the surgery.
4. After the patient’s stay in the hospital, the patient is encouraged to remain in India for at least two weeks for the longer-term recovery. This is the best way to make sure that there are no long term complications such as blood clots forming in the legs. This is the biggest reason why a travel companion should come to India with the patient so that the patient is not alone during recovery.
5. There are accommodations that the patient can take advantage of which combine resort-style living accommodations with round-the-clock nursing and medical care for patients who need this type of recovery care after their procedure.
6. After a recovery period of at least two weeks following the operation, the patient can return home. The patient is urged to visit his or her primary care physician or other local physicians handling the recovery process for a check-up and other post-operative care. This is ideal in making sure that the healing process is going smoothly and that there is no further chance of complications.

India Travel Tips

If you’re a smoker, stop as soon as possible. Smoking or tobacco can increase the risk of blood clots, one of the most dangerous risks of weight-loss surgeries. Also, lose as much weight as possible before traveling for bariatric surgery. This will lower your body mass index (BMI), which lowers your risk for complications in conjunction with your procedure.

If you haven’t already, begin to exercise so your body is ready to be active and exercise regularly. If you’re a woman and take birth control pills, talk with your doctors on alternative contraception as these pills thicken your blood and increase your risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Can Anyone Help Me?

There are many things that you will need to do when preparing for the trip and the operation, including completing paperwork, obtaining travel documentation, getting necessary vaccines for travel, preparing for where you will stay during the recovery period, to name a few.

Ensure that your travel companion is up to date on all of the information for the trip and knows how to contact everyone on both your international medical team and your local medical team. Your travel companion should play a vital role in helping you to plan the entire trip so that they know what to do, who to call, and so on.

Research special medical travel agents who specialize in this type of travel situation. Although their services can be costly, if you are struggling with the planning of this type of situation, it may help you to hire one who can help choose a hospital and plan the travel arrangements before the surgery and the accommodation and travel arrangements for after the surgery so that you can have the best possible trip.

The Bottom Line

The best thing that you can take away from this article is that you need to be informed in order to truly benefit from weight loss surgery in India. Bariatric surgery in India can be completely safe, and its cost-effectiveness makes it worthwhile for patients who are ready to lose weight where traditional methods have failed. 

If you are seriously considering weight loss surgery, it will be beneficial for you to consider what having the operation performed in India can mean for you. Significant cost savings can turn a stressful medical situation into an enjoyable trip abroad as long as you are willing to do your research and make the right choices about your operation and subsequent recovery.